2019 was an amazing domestic travel year for us with nearly 15 trips to mostly new places, the the whys and hows of which deserve a blog post of their own (someday soon… ish?). Two of these were to new-to-us Hawaiian islands- Oahu in April and the Big Island in November. I’m so excited to finally be carving out time to roll out my Hawaii blog posts, starting with the most recent. Go ahead and call me ambition incarnate, because I’ve even been eyeing that dusty hard drive with 2018’s Maui pictures- send help!!

Sooo, the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s the largest of the four main Hawaiian islands (hence, the name) and also, the MOST different. Home to 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones and the consequent squishing of manyyyy diverse natural landscapes in relatively close proximity, it’s extreme in that amazing Mother-Earth-is-dishing-out-tough-love kind of way. The most untamed beauty tantalized us at every turn of the road, the breeze whispering that it was right there to be touched… if we could manage a longish hike or a rough 4FW drive.😝 Don’t let that scare you, though, it forced us to strap in for life in its best, most outdoorsy-est form.

Read on see how we fared on our 4-day Big Island vacation. Note that this is our short highlight reel but take my advice and add on more vacay time if possible, the list of things to see/do here is as long as a centipede on a stretching rack. 🐛 Add to that the time-intensive hikes and drives of interest, you’ll want some bonus time on hand. We feel like we got to a taste a sampler of appetizers, must. 👏🏽 go. 👏🏽 back. 👏🏽 for that four-course meal!

Before I jump in, a quick primer on the lay of the land: The windward east side of the island is lush wet lands - think quiet villages, a rugged coast, dramatic volcanic terrain and verdant forests fed by ever-present rain. The capital city of Hilo serves as a hub here. The western coast, on the other hand, is postcard Hawaii (albeit a little windy!)- white sand beaches, lots of sunshine and more luxury resorts than one can count. Here, Waikoloa village and Kailua-Kona are where most things are located. Like most people do, we split our stay between the two sides for adventure and relaxation, in that order.

Part I: Adventure!! on the East Coast (2 nights)

STAY
Mahana House Country Inn
A locally owned idyllic farmhouse inn with four airy units, each complete with a lanai (porch) to enjoy the musical choir of nature from, it totally hit the spot for us! Come for the conveniently located digs in Hakalau just a short drive away from Hilo & Volcanoes National Park & other attractions on this side of the island, stay for the farm-fresh fruits and the many cute kitty hangs.😻
Pro tip: If you choose to fly into KOA, drive across the island via scenic Saddle Road- it’s a beautiful introduction to the soon-to-be familiar dramatic landscapes and makes for some picturesque pull overs!

Romper: Old Forever 21, HAT: thrifted, sandals: thrifted

EATS IN HILO

·      Suisan Fish Market (bomb poke!)
·      Vibe café’s super instagrammable décor
·      Sweet Cane Cafe (smoothie central and they had sugarcane juice aka my personal brand of blisssss)
·      Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shack (the most amazing acai bowls)
·      Hawaiian Style café, Café 100 and Two Ladies Kitchen for homely local cuisine.

TO DO

Akaka Falls
A mere ten minutes away from our Inn stood this 420 ft tall beauty, the tallest waterfall on the island. It truly is a sight to see at the center of a lush green rainforest globe! It was raining on our morning visit here, or we’d have hiked the trail to the neighboring Kahuna falls. Just up the road is also Rainbow Falls for its frequent rainbow sightings, and we also must have spotted numerous unnamed waterfalls driving around this side of the island. The waterfalls of the Big Island, they’re one big happy family!

Onomea Bay
Right around Akaka falls, our trusty self-guided tour app for Hawaii- Gypsy Guides- recommended that we drive the short scenic detour to the Onomea Bay overlook. So glad we did. We saw quite a few people walk down the street to hike down to the bay, I bet it is beautiful there!

onomea-bay-big-island-travel-itinerary 3

Volcanoes National Park
Hands down the most popular attraction on the island and most certainly the defining feature of it, VNP is home to the most active volcanoes on the planet- Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Grown from centuries of lava flows (Kīlauea erupted as recently as 2018!), the park is home to ancient as well as the newest land on Earth and makes for an otherworldly exploration. As we drove the Chain of Craters road, every stop we made felt like a new frontier! Make sure to call the park ahead to ask about volcanic activity and stop by the Visitors Center in person for some amazing documentation of recent eruptions.
A quick tip here- If you’re into turtle spotting, well recommended Punalu’u black sand beach is only a short 20-minute drive from the park!

Tee: c/o sugar high | shorts: old | cap: columbia | shoes: adidas

Hilo Farmer’s Market
A big event occurring in the center of town twice a week, we loved this market! The locals were shopping the freshest island produce, while we sipped on our coconut water and snacked on treats whose beautiful Hawaiian names we couldn’t pronounce. Go here for a fun vacay breakfast and souvenir shopping!

top: old forever 21 | Pants: old H&M | headband: amazon | bag: c/o rare atlantic | sandals: thrifted

Waipio Valley
Pictures do this place no justice! This overlook was definitely one of the special-er stops for us, especially since we almost left without seeing because of the rain. It was pouring when we got here, but we huddled under the shelter with the hope that the skies will clear. And so they did! Check out that view. 🤩 And check out the smiles on our faces. 😅 There does exist a way to access the stunning black sand beach in the valley, but only via a 4WD (locals headed down may offer a ride for a small fee) or a rough hike. As with most places on the Big island, bring water, lots of time and backup plans in case of rain.

Pololu Valley
Another turn of the road, another insane view! This was the one hike we had planned to get down to the beach, and it got rained upon.🌂 Malasadas at Tex’s drive-in (go and get the custard filled one!) did make for a nice substitute plan, but what I’d really do if I were you lucking out with clear skies is take them on the hike down for a beach picnic. I meannn 😍, you’re welcome.

Swimsuit: c/o Adore me | shorts: old levi’s

Waimea
This is the Big Island’s cowboy country! As we passed through endless acres of scenic mountain ranches on our east-to-west drive along the Kohala coast at the end of day 3, the serene scenery in the company of grazing horse friends warranted a pull-out pitstop for us. With more time on hand, you can spend entire days at the ranches, learning about and even living a day in the life of a Paniolo cowboy. Visiting the famous Parker Ranch or the equally inviting Anna Ranch would make for such a unique cultural experience!

Part II: Relaxation!! on the West Coast (2 nights)

STAY
Ocean Tower at the Hilton Waikoloa Village
My honest review? Meh. The Hilton at Waikoloa Village isn’t locally owned, was beyond our budget, and is so huge that we literally planned our days around not entering/exiting more than one time. That being said, disclaimer: we are not resort vacationers. And given that there were no (available) budget-friendly boutique hotel/Airbnb alternatives on this half of the island, the Hilton was cheaper than most and did offer quite for bit for the price- multiple pools, a private beach, a few different restaurants, a turtle lagoon, family-friendly activities, something called a dolphin quest(!) and so on. We obviously barely explored the property, although I did force us to spend our last morning at their lagoon-pool situation and that was lovely. 😂

EATS ON THE WEST COAST
·      Lava lava beach club has a toes-in-the-sand island dining vibe that I’m a huge sucker for!
·      Basik cafe, Under the Bodhi Tree for amazing fruit-heavy eats- the rambutan, the star fruit, the longan, oh my!
·      Da Poke Shack was probably the best poke of the trip- take it to go and eat on the beach down the street.
·      The Beach Tree bar at the Four Seasons Hualalai for a sunset drink or fancy dinner
·      Original Big Island Shave Ice, Scandinavian Shave Ice (duh.)
·      Kona Coffee or any of the Kona cafes sourcing coffee beans from right out of the neighboring coffee estate gates!

Kohala coast: Hapuna beach
Driving out of Waimea to join the western coastline, anticipation was high because everyone on the interweb seemed to recommend this drive down the Kohala ‘gold’ coast. Seeing for real the singular stretch on the entire island bestowed with sunny weather and classic Hawaii-esque beaches, we found our way to everyone’s favorite- Hapuna Beach. What a beauty, you guys! The white sands legit felt like velvet, the blue waters sparkled, and a gorgeous tropical sunset colored the skies as if just for us.
Pro tip: Make sure to check the wind speeds! What makes the sand here so soft also makes it very, very fine, so much so that it was flying in our faces with every small gust! Fully worth the sand-eating, if you ask me, though. 💯

coverup: Tiare hawaii c/o thredup | Sunglasses: thrifted

Beach Hopping
The coastline south of Kailua-Kona is, in my mind, the best of the Big Island. Big, bright, beautiful beaches framed by dark volcanic terrain and sprinkled with history. On our 4th and only beach day, we chose to set up camp at Mahai’ula beach – an uncrowded stretch of golden sands and friendly waves set in sharp contrast against ancient volcanic rocks. I’ll never forget the feeling of setting foot on the sands after hiking over the sharp rocks from the parking lot, like we were crossing the gates into a magical world that we’d somehow earned our places in. Right next door is Mak beach, a popular pick for locals and visitors alike. Keep on driving southward and you’ll find Papakolea green sand beach, a unique beach if there ever is one! It’s a good hour-long hike from the parking lot down to the beach here, so planning is key. ⏳

dress: LUcy love c/o thredup | Flower Crown: c/o GRace flowers hawaii

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
Okay, write this down as a must do.❤️ An ancient sacred burial site for the Hawaiians in a dreamlike setting, K and I both felt a calm here like nowhere else. View the original ceremonial sites and artefacts still preserved as is, walk through the peaceful coconut grove and listen to the waves crash at the rocky edge of the park. A quick tip for fellow coffee enthusiasts- the drive to the park took us through the hills of Kona- plan ahead for an estate visit or a café stop!